ADOMS
the ADOM (Automatic Defensive/Offensive Mechs) are mech suits used in the field by HU soldiers, as well as in less combat oriented situations. they have garnered respect from friend and foe alike for their combat applications, as well as their speed, strength, dexterity and pure offensive/defensive prowess. they are said to be the humanoid tanks of HU, weighing in at as much as seven to ten tons and standing fifteen feet in height. However, actual weight of units is one to two tons, as the operation of the Square-Cube Law on large mechs such as the ADOM units has made an array of Higgs field disruption devices necessary for operation. Though this does decrease weight, it does not decrease mass, meaning that while ADOM units are relatively light and can move surprisingly quickly, inexperienced pilots often have difficulty canceling the unit's momentum. ADOM have seen much service and many engagements, and most HU ships of Patrol, or Class II, and above carry at least one or two of any type. Deployment most often occurs in squads of five to seven, balancing mobility with numbers and ordinance, though various higher and lower numbers of squads have been known to be deployed. This is particularly evident among the ADOM IV, where few exist and, as a result, are typically deployed alone or with a small contingent of ADOM I. However, due to the design and specialization of the units, they are generally completely reserved for urban, mountain or forest based engagements, due to the lack of vertical cover in many environs. Obviously, this stipulation extends to all ADOM models but the V. ADOM units are not divided by model, instead being numbered and sorted by type and specialization; an ADOM unit can often switch classes more than a few times before being decommissioned. Currently, five types of ADOM unit exist, though more types may appear as situations demand. ADOM I the type I ADOM is an assault class attack vehicle designed for combat at close to mid ranges, with compatibility with various surface-to-surface missiles and various assault weaponry indicative of it's specialization. Weaponry the Type I ADOM is typically armed with an array of weaponry dedicated to assault at the aforementioned range of the model. WMR MK L Heavy Assault Rifle The MK L HAR is a fully automatic gas operated assault rifle five feet in length and chambered for .75 caliber rounds, made for lighter assault missions that don't require the armor penetration of the weapon's bigger brother, the MK LIV. the MK L is belt fed from a large bin of rounds that is typically clipped to the side of the ADOM, and can hold an upwards of 2500 rounds. Due to the lacking of multiple barrels, the firing rate of the MK L is limited, as the operator must give the weapon time to cool between firing bursts. WMR MK LI Assault Minigun The MK LI is a slightly different variation of the MK L, being that the LI greatly lessens the heat problems of the L by adding six rotating barrels, while greatly stepping up fire rate. However, this lengthier and faster firing rate comes at the cost of much of the weapon's accuracy, making it a rather unwieldy weapon that is only recommended for use with smaller squads in sparsely populated areas in order to minimize the chance of friendly fire or collateral damage. WMR MK LIV Heavy Assault Cannon the MK LIV HAC, or Live-Hack, is a fully automatic gas operated assault cannon approximately six feet in length and chambered for 30mm rounds of varying types. The weapon itself is so large and has such an incredible recoil that it is unusable by all other ground forces excluding deployment as heavy turrets and hip firing from Duohumans. Unlike it's smaller brother, the MK L, the MK LIV is magazine fed, drawing from an extended magazine that can hold an upwards of 60 rounds per load. Wings HMI-14-9 2-Hand The Heavy Mech Infantry 14-9 is a two-handed blade made of terralite, with a marked rubber/silicon grip and heavy crossguard, made for direct combat between mechs with blades. while the HMI-14-9 has seen little manufacturing or service due to lack of situations which require it, the design has remained in service due to situations that DO require the involvement of ADOM I's armed with HMI-14-9s. The 14 refers to HU Research Facility 14, where the weapon was designed and the prototypes were constructed and tested, while the 9 refers to the series of weapon. Wings SM-30 Assault Minigun The SM-30 is a six-barreled, ten-foot-long minigun designed to fire 120mm shells at extremely high rates. The barrels are cooled by liquid nitrogen, and are thus capable of supporting sustained fire for an impressive amount of time. This weapon is impossible for ground forces to utilize, even Duohumans, and is relegated entirely to the ADOM units. While possessing of a slower firing rate than the MK LI-AM, the SM-30 is, quite obviously, the more powerful and effective of the two. While the SM-30 was primarily designed with contemporary 120mm rounds in mind, the weapon is also compatible with the MK XXXVII "DART" APFSDS-T round. HE shells have also been designed for the weapon, but are not in wide usage due to the round's unpredictability on the battlefield. ADOM II the Type II is a design that specializes in short range combat, though the Type II is typically used in more domestic applications such as construction or heavy lifting and transporting of objects. the Type I is by far the cheapest and most lightly armored of the three designs, though this contributes to the general maneuverability and speed of the Type II, though hand-to-hand combat is hardly ever useful when combat mechs are involved. However, in the few situations where the Type II's capabilities are required, any Type II in combat preformed admirably, easily overpowering every other mech on the field through sheer speed and accuracy. Weapons and Equipment Due to having far less weight and necessary equipment, the ADOM II has become the standard for carrying equipment: coms arrays, ammunition, sensor packages, ect. ADOM II units have even been repurposed as mining, prospecting or scouting equipment. Wings MK III LMW The MK III LMW is a weapon that resembles a scaled-up pistol, and functions primarily as either a sidearm for ADOM I & III units or the primary weapon of a ADOM II unit. In particular, this weapon utilizes electromagnetic pulses along a series of superconductors to generate an impressively strong magnetic force that pulls a tungsten-edged steel flechette down the barrel, exiting at speeds as low as 600 MPH or as high as Mach 2, depending on power usage and the user's settings to the weapon. Being a versatile weapon, more recent designs have made it far more modular. Wings MK IV LMW A slight re-design of the MK III, the MK IV changes the weapon's basic structure to make it more modular and accepting of augmentations and modifications, while keeping the basic design as well as the firing system. In fact, it is possible to retrofit a MK III with at least some of the modular capacity, due to the similarity of design. HMI-14-7 HMI-14-7 are gantlets designed to be attached to the hands of a ADOM II unit. The weapon is comprised of a pair of titanium alloy plates with tungsten-tipped rods that fit over the backs of the unit's hands. In combat, the plates rotate and lock over the knuckles, allowing the unit to punch through armor and concrete with ease. MEP-33a Regional-Grade Comms Unit A Modular Equipment Package designed for very short-range communications. This particular package is the factory standard among ADOM and GAV units. MEP-33b Orbit-Grade Comms Unit A larger and heavier comms package, the MEP-33b is most often equipped to ADOM II units in order to lighten the load for assault-focused ADOM units, but may be carried by any ADOM units excluding the V. The more robust comms equipment in this package is used primarily to facilitate communication between HU ground assets and HU assets in orbit. From there, the message may be forwarded to the correct vessel, or to Osrisis. MEP-33c Universal-Grade Comms Unit Excessively heavy and requiring a large power source, this package is for direct communication between ground assets and Osrisis. While some use of this unit is with assets on planets with little to no HU presence, the primary reason for the manufacture of these units is emergency comms in starships. one or more units may be issued to a vessel, with the primary idea that a downed or disabled vessel would utilize the array to communicate their distress back to Osrisis and request pick-up. Due to this, MEP-33c units were not designed with combat or field-use in mind. ADOM III The Type III, unlike it's brethren, specializes in long range combat, favoring artillery and other extreme range weapons over the closer ranged arms used by the other two types of ADOM. due to it's specialization, the Type II is the second least armored, though it is far heavier armed than the Type II. Weaponry The Type III favors extremely long range weaponry, and has few applications at short range, and the Type II's arsenal shows heavy influence from this. Wings MK XXVI Light Artillery Cannon The MK XXVI LAC is a relatively light gun-howitzer artillery piece built to fire 75mm rounds. the MK XXVI is used when the mobility of artillery units is imperative, therefore reducing the weight limit on artillery guns and ammunition. Wings MK XXXIII Heavy Artillery Cannon The MK XXXIII HAC is a much heavier version of it's younger brother, the MK XXVI, being a gun-howitzer artillery weapon built to fire full 155mm artillery rounds instead of the lighter 75mm rounds of it's lighter brother. the MK XXXIII is used when firepower is deemed more important than mobility, and the firing from such a cannon is known to decimate enemy forces. The cannons can fire such long ranges that antimatter rounds have been cleared for use with ADOM III's armed with MK XXXIII's. Wings HMSR-07 The Heavy Mech Sniper Rifle model 07, or HMSR-07, is a huge bolt-action sniper rifle made for the ADOM III. The weapon is typically in excess of nine feet, and is chambered in full 120mm APFSDS rounds that have the penetrating power to pierce the armor of a Grenadier Class Vessel, an incredible feat. the HMSR-07 hasn't seen much service due to the relative rarity of engagements that would require the sheer firepower that the HMSR-07 provides, though functional models have seen a few engagements to date, typically full battles with enemies that can match HU for technological prowess, meaning the capability of manufacturing armor on par with the Grenadier Class. The HMSR-07 is fed via an external box clip that contains four rounds. The HMSR-07, as opposed to the other weapons designed specifically for the ADOM III, is a line-of-site weapon with little arcing. Because of this, ADOM III groups tend to take only one or two with them at a time, as the weapon cannot be properly utilized from prime artillery positions. ADOM IV Prototype The ADOM IV is the designation for an experimental prototype currently under testing and development on Osrisis. Using newer advancements and higher quality materials too rare to implement in normal ADOM units, the ADOM IV is designed to be an elite fighting machine for use by highly skilled soldiers and Duohumans. The body is primarily composed of terralite armor plating, decreasing the weight of the unit over the titanium/osmium armor of the ADOM I while vastly improving mobility. Unlike previous ADOM models, the ADOM IV uses supplementary rocket boosters, as well as replacing the hydraulic systems of models past with a mag-lev superconductor suspension and movement system designed to reduce friction and wear in battle almost to zero. Due to the introduction of these two improvements working in tandem, the ADOM IV prototype can easily outrace most HU ground vehicles. Test pilots have developed techniques for further increasing movement speed, namely by a method known as "Rocket Dashing", which involves firing the boosters attached to the bottoms of each foot at regular intervals and making the ADOM IV look as if it is skating over the ground. Further changes to design remove the reinforced cockpit window, replacing it with an array of senors and internal holographic displays, providing more protection for the pilot as well as making their exact location within the chassis and physical status vague to opponents. As another change necessitated by it's combat systems, the ADOM IV is powered by a small mass reactor, a relatively new reactor design that converts reaction mass directly to energy and therefore requires very little fuel, even in the case of extended tests. Regrettably, the mass reactor is volatile when pushed beyond it's capacity or when struck by sustained plasma or electrical bursts due to both the small size of the reactor itself and the small size of the equipment it powers which, unlike full vessels utilizing the same technology, cannot simply disperse such blows and cannot properly deal with fluctuations in the core. By far, though, the largest change to the ADOM design was the addition of certain in-built weapons systems designed from data provided by earlier experimental programs, including the SPIA subjects and the data provided by the PERSEUS androids from their regular self experimentation and upgrading. There are currently fifteen ADOM IV prototypes in service in various fields of the HUAF, a significant portion of which are assigned for the utilization of Elite Cruisers. MK I PCB The MK I PCB is the primary offensive weapons system of the ADOM IV, and makes up a large portion of it's power draw. The PCB, or Plasma Cutter Beam, is a magnetically contained blade constructed entirely of plasma generated using electrical energy drawn from the primary reactor. The blades are emitted over the knuckles of both hands, and extend out to a maximum of fifteen feet, though the blade can release bursts of plasma over several hundred feet. The blade itself is possesses sufficient power to cut through even analite, and often leaves straight-lined slashes rimmed with orange, half-molten lines instead of the oddly-shaped ragged molten holes one would expect. This effect is mainly due to the extremely fine tuning of the blade, which reduces it's area of effect down to an incredibly fine line. Problems with the design arise in extended use against energy weapons, which may trigger a positive feedback loop that necessitates a full system reboot. ADOM V The V is a personal assault vehicle that is tiny in stature when compared to the other ADOM models, being merely eight feet in height. While the other ADOM types serve as more tanks on legs, the V is a personal set of power armor made to maximize mobility and strength, and can even serve as a way for crippled or heavily injured soldiers to fight in emergencies. Because of it's much smaller size, the V is much easier and cheaper to produce at a much higher quality than other ADOM units, and the armor plating is typically composed of analite or terralite, depending on the soldier that it was issued to. Several interesting features came about in the V, mostly due to it's more normal stature when compared to a baseline Human or T'alterian. The helmet has a separate internal power source that can power the armor for two hours if the main plasma battery is damaged or is drained, but soldiers in the field have taken to stripping the helmet from abandoned or disabled V units to use for it's impressive features and advantages. This strategy works precisely because the emergency power source, a small plasma battery kept full during operation by the main plasma battery, will allow the helmet to operate at full capacity for days on end. Suits of V armor can also be used as emergency power sources for camps or command centers, owing to the surprisingly large storage capacity of the plasma battery utilized by these units. Some units in the field are set to "follow", filled with equipment or soldiers too injured to walk or fight, and used as transportation for their contents. This action was common enough that a basic combat AI was added for newer units, while older units had the routines added as a software patch, allowing the V to assist the team it is assigned to in combat while still being used as storage and/or transportation. As the V unit is more-or-less around the size of larger bipedal beings, it can use normal regulation Wings weaponry, though a few types of weapon have been designed especially for it. Given its impressive aptitude and strength, the ADOM V can even wield some weapons meant for the ADOM I and III, like the MK L and the HMSR-07, though with great difficulty. Wings Heavy Assault Rifle MK III: WHAR III This rifle is chambered for 12.9x99mm rounds, similar to the SR-09. While it can be operated and used by Duohumans, it requires a MK II or III PEAS or, indeed, a ADOM V to be used by the average soldier. Like the SR-09, the WHAR III was designed to deal with heavy armor and Duohumans, and is able to even take down certain other mechs due to its anti-material rounds. In addition, the weapon can be used in a similar function as a DMR, being that it is surprisingly accurate over long ranges when possessing of the correct attachments. The WHAR III entered service shortly after the ADOM V, and has seen about as much action, a significant portion of which is the WHAR III being utilized as a turret gun. Wings HMSR-08 A smaller rifle than the HMSR-07, the 08 is more of a DMR than an actual sniper rifle, due to the fact that it is a recoil-action semi-automatic, instead of a bolt-action like it's larger brother. The 08 is also chambered for smaller 20mm rounds, instead of the larger 30mm rounds utilized by the 07, both to increase portability and usability, as well as reduce the over-all size of the weapon and it's magazines. While originally designed for use by the ADOM V, the HMSR-08 has gained popularity with certain sniper groups within the HUAR, as well as marked popularity with certain MSTs and wide-spread usage in the Duohuman Corps. Wings SM-29a Assault Minigun A scaled-down semi-prototype of the SM-30, the SM-29a is a triple-barreled 20mm minigun designed to be equipped to, and utilized by, ADOM V units almost exclusively. The ammunition reservoir for the weapon itself is were this is most obvious, as it comes in the form of a pack designed to lie flush against the back of the unit, as well as draw power for the motor rotating the barrels from the unit's plasma cores. Like it's larger sibling, the SM-29a is equipped with liquid nitrogen cooling systems, and thus may reach sustained fire for lengthy periods of time.